Colorado lawmakers promised bipartisanship when the 2012 session started last week, but a Republican-backed resolution in the House today urging the repeal of federal health care reform brought the party divisions right back.

The resolution, HR 1003, was sponsored by Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, who said it was about all the jobs Colorado would lose under the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act. Lawmakers from both parties have repeatedly declared that “jobs” is their focus this session.

The resolution asks Congress to call a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which critics usually call “Obamacare.”

Balmer’s resolution says the law will “will likely increase taxes, limit economic growth, increase unemployment, and reduce incentives to innovate,” among many other complaints listed in the resolution.

“If we don’t stand up to the overreaching federal government, who will?” Balmer asked.

But House Minority Leader Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, mocked Republicans for bringing what he said was a partisan resolution that had nothing to do with job creation and everything to do with posturing.

“This is a letter to Santa Claus,” Ferrandino said, invoking a phrase often used in the past by Republicans to describe non-binding resolutions asking Congress to do one thing or another.

Republicans speaking in favor of the resolution, and against the federal law, included Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, and House Majority Leader Amy Stephens, R-Monument, who are running against each other as a result of newly drawn legislative district lines.

Stephens has become the target of Tea Party activists for sponsoring a bill last year that set up Colorado’s health care insurance exchange, one of the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Conservatives attacked it as “AmyCare,” though it was widely supported by the business community and came despite the fact Stephens said she rejected the Affordable Care Act.

Looper has joined in the attack on “AmyCare,” co-sponsoring a bill to repeal the health care insurance exchange law.

Both took to the floor to speak against the Affordable Care Act, though, with Looper calling it a “a complete abuse of the powers of Congress and the federal government” and Stephens saying, “If they can force us to buy health insurance, they can tell us what kinds of cars to buy.”

Democrats challenged Republican assertions that the law would cost Colorado jobs, pointing to other studies showing job creation. They also pointed to Congressional Budget Office data that said the Affordable Care Act would reduce the federal deficit.

But the sparks flew when Rep. Dan Pabon, D-Denver, offered an amendment essentially praising GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney as the inspiration for the federal law by having passed a similar health reform package as governor of Massachussetts.

Republicans ruled that amendment out of order, and they managed to scuttle another from Pabon that would have urged the preservation of the health care exchanges — something that likely could have split Republicans had it come to a vote.

Balmer’s resolution passed on a 33-31 vote, but it wasn’t completely a partisan split. Rep. Wes McKinley, D-Cokedale, voted in favor of the resolution while Rep. Laura Bradford, R-Colbran, voted against it.

Too funny, guess what the federal government already tells you what kind of cars you can buy. Duh they have tested and regulated what cars are allowed on public roads for years. Man, why is it every time I read something a republican says it sounds so dumb. Grandstanding waste of time repubs why not wait until the supreme court rules on Obama care Or Romney Care whatever you want to call it. My guess supreme court rules it is constitutional reason why gov. can force you to buy insurace because everybody at some point in thier life will need some type of medical procedure or assitance, Period. so you cannot say I will never need it. If you have no insurance then you know what that means – we all pay for your medical care becuase chances are you can’t afford what the cost will be even for a broken arm, you know what that is called – Socialism. So wake up republicans unless you do us all a favor and jump off a cliff into the ocean never to be seen again you will cost all of us money for medical coverage if you have no insurance, that is the premise of Obama/Romney care .

Djbuckner

Above…So ignorant and immature, The Republican have strong points and have my full support. I resent the fact that Obama even made it this far. Blank checks and everything else he’s introduced has pretty much gone wrong and he still continues to ignore the nations cry to repeal this health care what kind of president openly ignores

WesternDem

How isn’t the new healthcare law a job creator? More uninsured will have access to healthcare than ever before which means there will be a greater need for doctors, family physicians, nurses, etc…

“Conservatives attacked it as “AmyCare,” though it was widely supported by the business community and came despite the fact Stephens said she rejected the Affordable Care Act.”

Want to know how to help business thrive? Take the burden of providing expensive healthcare options for their employees off of their backs.

PFN

No, the new healthcare law will NOT be a job creator….unless you count the increase of gov’t bureaucracy (y’know the jobs that cost more taxpayer dollars and add nothing to the economy except burden). More small business will fold because of this law (it’s started already), more doctors will leave their practices or limit who they will treat (it’s started already). Anyone stupid enough to believe that ANY new entitlement created by the federal gov’t will REDUCE the deficit is clearly too stupid to vote and I’m surprised that they even know how to breathe.

purpose

PFN, you are totally wrong about this. Many people won’t start their own small business because they can’t afford to leave their jobs where their health benefits are supplied. If they have the opportunity to buy health insurance from an exchange at a reasonable rate, they won’t be tied to that old job, can start a business and can hire people who also will buy their insurance through the exchange. This is not an entitlement program. People will be paying for premiums and choosing their insurance companies (or firing them like Romney likes to do). They will actually have MORE freedoms with Obamacare than they do now.

jj

even the supreme court recognized this ‘Tax Care Act’ as a tax, i.e. a ‘head tax’ on every individual. do you remember voting for a big fat tax paid directly to a private industry?(insurance companies). i don’t. instead, let’s put this tax on the ballot and allow us citizens to vote on it. unmask this ‘Tax Care Act’ for what it is…a head tax forced on every person. this tax is wrong and the fed need’s to get out of the business of continuously being private businesses-lobbyist pet poodle.

jj

Wow, excellent, and right-on! Remember the three lie’s; ‘the check is in
the mail’, ‘i’m from the government, and i’m here to help you’, ‘and i
won’t come……’ ;-)

Oh, and there is no such thing as buying ‘reasonably priced’ insurance
when you are forced to pay for it. This is evident by the ever
increasing auto insurance rates, which we are forced to pay for. Get a
clue; forced paying of a thing, is a forced tax, which is taxation
without representation. Remember the three lie’s and try not to vote away your rights and freedom to big business.

Anonymous

The the Rebublicans are jumping in right at the start of this legislative session, have thrown out the bi-partisanshiop, and are attacking “Obama Care” and “Amy Care” from the get go. The Republicans 1 vore majority in the house will not go far, but it will keep the Tea Party Patriots happy. The right wing nut jobs would be a laugh except for their intent on screwing up things for everyone else.

Jackncarol

I am disappointed in the efforts to overturn the Healthcare law. I’ve seen too many times when folks have been without healthcare because they are on the borderline to income qualify for Federal programs and cannot afford to buy it. We send money to other countries, provide free healthcare to every illegal in this country yet shun an effort to insure that our own have access to healthcare when they need it! Just doesn’t make sense that we would do this to our own citizens.

ember8214

I seem to recall that just a few months ago a Federal HHS official testified in Congress that THEIR studies showed a loss of 800,000 jobs if HillaryCare is fully implemented. I don’t have time but try Googleing that.

Matthew Clark

It’s really amazing to me that the bat sh** crazy Republicans are against the consumer and businesses saving money.
At first glance it looks like as politics as usual but in fact they are in the pockets of the insurance lobby.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.